Astral Chain

Presentation

Astral Chain is an action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo. Set in a science-fiction universe with cyberpunk influences, it immerses players in the Ark, a vast futuristic city threatened by creatures from another dimension known as Chimeras. The protagonist belongs to Neuron, a special police unit dedicated to fighting this invasion. To combat these enemies, officers use living weapons called Legions, connected to their wielders by an energy chain. This relationship forms the core of the game, combining fast-paced combat with police investigations, exploration sequences and operations to protect civilians.

Astral Chain's main innovation lies in its synchronized combat system, allowing players to control a police officer and their Legion simultaneously. The protagonist carries a transforming weapon called the X-Baton, while their partner can attack independently or be directed toward a specific target. Players must coordinate their movements to perform combos, unleash Sync Attacks and exploit openings in enemy defenses. The chain connecting them also plays a direct role in combat: it can immobilize opponents, interrupt a charging enemy or control their movements. Battles therefore depend as much on positioning both partners as on executing attacks quickly.

Throughout the adventure, players obtain five types of Legions, each possessing complementary abilities. The Sword Legion specializes in rapid attacks and precise cuts, while the Arrow Legion can strike distant enemies. The Arm Legion uses its strength to manipulate objects and fight at close range; the Beast Legion stands out through its mobility and tracking abilities; and the Axe Legion combines powerful attacks with protective energy barriers. Switching between Legions allows players to adapt their fighting techniques to different enemies, while also overcoming obstacles and discovering new exploration opportunities.

Beyond combat, Astral Chain places considerable emphasis on investigations and police activities. Across the Ark's different districts, players search for clues, question witnesses and intervene to assist residents. IRIS, an augmented reality interface, allows officers to analyze crime scenes and examine holographic reconstructions. Legion abilities also contribute to these investigations, particularly when following a trail, moving an obstacle or reaching an inaccessible passage. Certain missions lead into the Astral Plane, a parallel dimension made up of geometric environments where combat alternates with puzzles and platforming sequences. This variety of activities connects the Legions' powers to the different aspects of police work.

The adventure is organized into Files, corresponding to Neuron's main operations. Between assignments, headquarters provides opportunities to prepare for missions, upgrade equipment and interact with other members of the unit. Battles reward players with Gene Codes, used to develop Legion skills and customize their offensive or defensive abilities. Files also contain optional objectives, while a ranking system evaluates combat performance. Completed missions can be replayed to improve results or discover previously inaccessible elements. This progression supports an adventure in which combat, investigation and exploration rely on the same abilities, applied in different situations.

Key points

• A science-fiction action-adventure game, set in a futuristic cyberpunk metropolis threatened by creatures from another dimension.
• A synchronized combat system, allowing players to control a police officer and their Legion, connected by an energy chain.
• Five Legions with distinct abilities, used for both combat and environmental exploration.
• Police investigations using IRIS, combining clue gathering, witness interviews and operations to assist residents.
• Exploration alternating between the Ark's districts and the Astral Plane, featuring combat, puzzles and platforming sequences.
• A progression system based on Legion and equipment upgrades, accompanied by optional missions and performance rankings.
• Two-player local cooperation, allowing participants to share control of the police officer and their Legion.

Conclusion

Astral Chain combines PlatinumGames' characteristic fast-paced combat with a system built around coordinating two characters. The different Legions are more than combat partners: their abilities also play a role in investigations, movement and overcoming obstacles throughout the adventure.

Alternating between police operations in the Ark and exploration of the Astral Plane gives the game a structure that extends beyond traditional hack-and-slash combat. Missions, Legion progression and optional activities further develop this formula, whose identity rests on the complementary relationship between the officer and their partner, both in action and investigation.

Good to know

Astral Chain was released on August 30, 2019, exclusively for Nintendo Switch. It was developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo. The project marked Takahisa Taura's directorial debut, following his work on NieR:Automata, with Hideki Kamiya serving as supervisor. The main characters and Legions were designed by manga artist Masakazu Katsura, creator of Video Girl Ai and Zetman.

At the beginning of the adventure, players choose between the two Howard twins, one male and one female. The unselected character becomes the protagonist's sibling, Akira Howard, and takes part in the story. The playable character's appearance can be customized, particularly through hairstyles, clothing and various cosmetic elements.

The main story consists of eleven narrative Files, followed by a twelfth File dedicated to additional activities. This structure allows players to revisit previous operations, complete optional assignments and pursue further challenges after the campaign. Explorable areas are connected to individual missions rather than forming a continuous open world.

Each Legion possesses its own skill tree, developed using Gene Codes obtained during combat. The protagonist can also upgrade the X-Baton, which has three configurations: baton, gun and gladius. Legion abilities become available progressively, allowing players to return to certain areas and explore passages that were previously inaccessible.

Local cooperative gameplay allows two people to play on the same console by sharing the controls. One participant directs the police officer while the other controls the Legion, each using a Joy-Con. Both characters remain connected by their chain and must coordinate their actions. The game does not feature online cooperation and is primarily designed as a single-player experience.

Astral Chain features Japanese and English voice acting, accompanied by text and subtitles in several languages, including French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Korean and Chinese. Its art direction combines futuristic urban environments, manga-inspired characters and abstract dimensional landscapes. The game is rated PEGI 16 in Europe.